Processing device, server device, output method, and non-transitory storage medium

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention, there is provided a processing device ( 10 ) which includes a sound collection unit ( 11 ) that collects an environmental sound outside a vehicle, a filter unit ( 14 ) that performs filtering for emphasizing a sound characterizing a current position of the vehicle of which the environmental sound is collected, from the environmental sound collected by the sound collection unit ( 11 ), and a processing unit ( 12 ) that causes the environmental sound including the filtered sound to be output to the inside of the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage entry of PCT Application No:PCT/JP2017/038572 filed Oct. 25, 2017, which claims priority to JapanesePatent Application No. 2016-208426, filed Oct. 25, 2016, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a processing device, a server device,an output method, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

Patent Document 1 discloses a device that collects an ambient soundoutside a car with a sound collector and presents the collected sound.The device can present a sound obtained by suppressing an ambient soundin a moving direction of a vehicle, present a sound obtained bysuppressing an ambient sound in a direction of a sight line of a driver,present a sound obtained by suppressing a frequency band of runningnoise in the car, adjust a sound pressure level in accordance withvehicle speed information, or start presenting a sound in response todetection of a moving sound source.

Patent Document 2 discloses a system in which a sound generation deviceprovided for an ambulance, a fire engine, a railroad cross, and the likeand an in-vehicle audio notification device that notifies the inside ofthe car of a sound generated outside the car are provided. The soundgeneration device outputs a predetermined sound on the basis of a signalobtained by superimposing identification information indicating the typeof an audio signal on the audio signal. The in-vehicle audionotification device extracts the identification information from thecollected audio signal. The in-vehicle audio notification devicedetermines whether a notification to the inside of the car is to beperformed, on the basis of the extracted identification information.

Patent Document 3 discloses a device that collects an ambient soundoutside a vehicle with a sound collector and presents the collectedsound. The device detects an object around the own vehicle. In a casewhere the object is detected, the device presents a predetermined sound.In a case where the object is not detected, the device does not presentthe predetermined sound. The predetermined sound is obtained bysynthesizing a sound collected by a microphone and a virtual soundgenerated by the device. In a case where the detected object is anobject that makes a sound, the detection of the object is notified bythe sound collected by the microphone. In a case where the detectedobject is an object that does not make a sound, the detection of theobject is notified by the virtual sound.

Patent Document 4 discloses a device that detects a vehicle approachingthe own vehicle, on the basis of the collected sound outside thevehicle. The device detects the shape of a traveling road on which theown vehicle travels, the type of a road surface of the traveling road onwhich the approaching vehicle travels and adjusts sound collectioncharacteristics on the basis of the detection result.

RELATED DOCUMENT Patent Document

[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2009-258802

[Patent Document 2] JP-A-2015-32155

[Patent Document 3] JP-A-2009-251799

[Patent Document 4] JP-A-2011-232293

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

According to the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4, itis possible to notify a driver of sound around the own vehicle. However,various kinds of sound are mixedly provided around the own vehicle.Among these kinds of sound, a sound of which notification to a driver isdesired and a sound of which notification to the driver is unnecessaryare mixedly provided. In a case where a sound outside a vehicle issimply collected to be output from a speaker in the vehicle, the soundof which notification to a driver is desired and the sound of whichnotification to the driver is unnecessary are mixed in the sound ofwhich the driver is notified. As a result, a problem that the drivermisses the sound of which notification to the driver is desired mayoccur.

One example of objects of the present invention is to provide atechnology of reducing such a problem which may occur in a system ofnotifying a driver of a sound around the own vehicle.

Solution to Problem

According to the invention described in claim 1, there is provided aprocessing device including a sound collection unit that collects anenvironmental sound outside a vehicle, a filter unit that performsfiltering for emphasizing a sound characterizing a current position ofthe vehicle of which the environmental sound is collected, from theenvironmental sound collected by the sound collection unit, and aprocessing unit that causes the environmental sound including thefiltered sound to be output to the inside of the vehicle.

According to the invention described in claim 6, there is provided aserver device including an acquisition unit that acquires positioninformation of a vehicle, type information of a frequency filterselected at a position indicated by the position information, andcondition information including at least one of a surroundingenvironment of the position, and a date and time at which the vehicle islocated at the position, from plural vehicles, a generation unit thatgenerates reference information including a type of a frequency filterto be selected at a predetermined position and a condition for selectingthe frequency filter, on the basis of the information acquired by theacquisition unit, and a determination unit that determines a frequencyfilter to be selected by another vehicle, on the basis of the positioninformation and the condition information transmitted from the othervehicle and the reference information.

According to the invention described in claim 7, there is provided anoutput method including a sound collection step of collecting anenvironmental sound outside a vehicle, a filtering step of performingfiltering for emphasizing a sound characterizing a current position ofthe vehicle of which the environmental sound is collected, from theenvironmental sound collected by the sound collection unit, and aprocessing step of causing the environmental sound including thefiltered sound to be output to the inside of the vehicle.

According to the invention described in claim 8, there is provided aprogram causing a computer to function as a sound collection unit thatcollects an environmental sound outside a vehicle, a filtering unit thatperforms filtering for emphasizing a sound characterizing a currentposition of the vehicle of which the environmental sound is collected,from the environmental sound collected by the sound collection unit, anda processing unit that causes the environmental sound including thefiltered sound to be output to the inside of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-described and other objects, features, and advantages willbecome more apparent from the following description of a preferredembodiment and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional blockdiagram of a processing device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardwareconfiguration of the processing device in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of informationprocessed by the processing device in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow ofthe processing device in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow ofthe processing device in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow ofthe processing device in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of informationaccumulated in a server device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow ofthe processing device in the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be describedwith reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, similar componentsare denoted by similar reference signs, and descriptions thereof will beappropriately omitted.

Outline of Embodiment

According to an embodiment, a processing device may be, for example, anin-vehicle device built in a vehicle or may be a portable terminal (forexample, smartphone, tablet, portable phone) brought into a vehicle. Theprocessing device includes a sound collection unit, a filter unit, and aprocessing unit. The sound collection unit collects an environmentalsound outside a vehicle (may be referred to as “a sound outside avehicle” below) and converts the sound into an electrical signal. Thefilter unit performs filtering for emphasizing a sound characterizingthe current position of the vehicle of which the environmental sound iscollected, from the environmental sound collected by the soundcollection unit. The processing unit outputs the environmental soundincluding the filtered sound to the inside of the vehicle.

According to such a processing device in the embodiment, it is possibleto output a sound outside a vehicle from a speaker installed in thevehicle, in a state where a sound of a desired sound source (sound ofwhich notification to a driver is desired and sound characterizing thecurrent position) remains while sounds of other sound sources (sound ofwhich notification to the driver is unnecessary) is reduced, by thefiltering.

The processing device in the embodiment can further include a detectionunit. The detection unit detects the current position of the ownvehicle. The filter unit selects a frequency filter on the basis of thecurrent position. According to such a processing device, it is possibleto appropriately select a sound to remain and a sound to be reduced, inaccordance with the current position. In addition, it is possible tooutput a sound outside the vehicle from the speaker installed in thevehicle.

Details of Embodiment

Next, a configuration of the processing device in the embodiment will bedescribed in detail. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a functional blockdiagram of a processing device 10 according to the embodiment. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, in the embodiment, the processing device 10includes a sound collection unit 11, a processing unit 12, a detectionunit 13, and a filter unit 14.

The functional units illustrated in the functional block diagram arerealized by any combination of hardware and software. The combination isbasically constituted by a central processing unit (CPU) of a certaincomputer, a memory, a program loaded in the memory, a storage unit (canstore a program which has been stored, in advance, in a stage ofshipping the device and a program downloaded from a storage medium suchas a compact disc (CD) or from a server on the Internet) such as a harddisk, that stores the program, and a network connection interface. Thoseskilled in the art will understand that there are various modificationsof the realization method and the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of theprocessing device 10 in the embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, theprocessing device 10 includes a processor LA, a memory 2A, an input andoutput interface 3A, a peripheral circuit 4A, and a bus 5A. Theperipheral circuit 4A includes various modules. The peripheral circuit4A may not be provided.

The bus 5A is a data transmission path on which the processor 1A, thememory 2A, the peripheral circuit 4A, and the input and output interface3A transmit and receive data to and from each other. The processor LA isan arithmetic processing device such as a central processing unit (CPU)or a graphics processing unit (GPU), for example. The memory 2A is amemory such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM),for example. The input and output interface 3A includes, for example, aninterface for acquiring information from an input device (for example,keyboard, mouse, and microphone), an external device, an externalserver, an external sensor, and the like, and an interface foroutputting information to an output device (for example, display,speaker, printer, and emailer), an external device, an external server,and the like. The processor 1A can output a command to each module andperform an operation on the basis of operation results.

The functions of the functional units illustrated in the functionalblock diagram in FIG. 1 will be described in detail.

The detection unit 13 detects the current position of the own vehicle.“The own vehicle” means a vehicle in which the processing device 10 isbuild (the same below). As means for acquiring the current position, forexample, using a global positioning system (GPS) is considered. It isnot limited thereto.

The sound collection unit 11 collects a sound outside the vehicle andconverts the sound into an electrical signal. The sound collection unit11 includes one or plural microphones. The microphone is installed atany position at which the sound outside the vehicle is collected. Forexample, four microphones may be installed at four places, that is, theright front, the left front, the right rear, and the left rear of theown vehicle.

The filter unit 14 performs filtering for emphasizing a soundcharacterizing the current position of the vehicle of which theenvironmental sound is collected, from the environmental sound collectedby the sound collection unit 11.

The filter unit 14 may select a frequency filter that emphasizes thesound characterizing the current position from among plural frequencyfilters on the basis of the current position of the own vehicle andperform the filtering with the selected frequency filter.

The filter unit 14 may perform filtering in accordance with positionattributes of the current position, which are specified on the basis ofmap information.

The filter unit 14 may determine whether or not to continue thefiltering, in accordance with a state of sound collection by the soundcollection unit 11 of an external sound that needs to be heard by apassenger of the own vehicle, not the sound characterizing the currentposition of the own vehicle when the filtering is performed.

The processing unit 12 causes an environmental sound including the soundfiltered by the filter unit 14 to be output to the inside of thevehicle. The processing unit 12 causes the sound outside the vehicle tobe output via an amplifier and the speaker installed in the vehicle, onthe basis of the filtered electrical signal. The processing unit 12 mayperform predetermined processing on the electrical signal generated bythe sound collection unit 11. For example, the processing unit 12 mayperform gain adjustment (amplification processing, attenuationprocessing, and the like) on the electrical signal. In a case where thesound is collected with the plural microphones, the processing unit 12may perform processing (synthesis of plural sounds collected by theplural microphones) of synthesizing plural acoustic waves respectivelycorresponding to the plural microphones. The processing unit 12 mayperform another kind of processing on the electrical signal.

The processing unit 12 causes the sound outside the vehicle to be outputvia the speaker installed in the vehicle, on the basis of a signal afterfiltering by the filter unit 14 and various kinds of processingdescribed above. The processing unit 12 causes the sound collected bythe sound collection unit 11 to be output from the speaker in real time.Preferably, time loss from sound collection to an output is as small aspossible. The number of speakers and the installation position aredesign matters.

Here, specific examples of filtering by the filter unit 14 and gainadjustment by the processing unit 12 will be described. The filter unit14 performs filtering with a frequency filter that causes a componenthaving a certain frequency band to pass therethrough and reducescomponents having other frequency bands.

The plural frequency filters have frequency bands for reduction, whichare different from each other. For example, the plural frequency filtersmay include any one or a plurality of “a frequency filter that causes acomponent having a frequency band corresponding to a human voice to passtherethrough and reduces components having other frequency bands”, “afrequency filter that causes a component having a frequency bandcorresponding to a voice of a human child to pass therethrough andreduces components having other frequency bands”, “a frequency filterthat causes a component having a frequency band corresponding to a sound(for example, brake sound, bell sound, and wheel rotation sound) of abicycle to pass therethrough and reduces components having otherfrequency bands”, “a frequency filter that causes a component having afrequency band corresponding to a sound of an ocean wave to passtherethrough and reduces components having other frequency bands”, and“a frequency filter that causes a component having a frequency bandcorresponding to a song of a bird to pass therethrough and reducescomponents having other frequency bands”. The exemplified frequencyfilters are just examples, and the invention is not limited thereto.

The filter unit 14 can select the frequency filter on the basis of thecurrent position detected by the detection unit 13. For example, thefilter unit 14 may specify an attribute of the current position(position attribute). Then, the filter unit 14 may select the frequencyfilter corresponding to the specified position attribute. An example ofthe processing will be described below.

For example, the filter unit 14 may specify a position attribute of thecurrent position on the basis of map information indicating attributesof each position (position attributes). Examples of the positionattribute include “school zone”, “bicycle traffic volume is large”,“along the seaside”, and “a song of a bird is heard”. However, theinvention is not limited thereto. In the map information, one positionattribute may be associated with a certain position, or plural positionattributes may be associated with a certain position. A position whichis not associated with the position attribute may be provided.

The filter unit 14 selects the frequency filter corresponding to thespecified position attribute of the current position. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 3, the filter unit 14 may hold correspondenceinformation in which the position attribute and an identifier (ID) ofthe frequency filter are associated with each other. The filter unit 14may select the frequency filter corresponding to the position attributeof the current position on the basis of the correspondence information.

A frequency filter corresponding to “position attribute: school zone”may be, for example, “the frequency filter that causes a componenthaving a frequency band corresponding to a voice of a human child (soundcharacterizing the school zone (current position)) to pass therethroughand reduces components having other frequency bands”. A frequency filtercorresponding to “position attribute: bicycle traffic volume is large”may be, for example, “the frequency filter that causes a componenthaving a frequency band corresponding to a sound (sound characterizing aposition (current position) at which bicycle traffic volume is large,for example, brake sound, bell sound, and wheel rotation sound) of abicycle to pass therethrough and reduces components having otherfrequency bands”.

A frequency filter corresponding to “position attribute: along theseaside” may be, for example, “the frequency filter that causes acomponent having a frequency band corresponding to a sound of an oceanwave (sound characterizing a position (current position) along theseaside) to pass therethrough and reduces components having otherfrequency bands”. A frequency filter corresponding to “positionattribute: a song of a bird is heard” may be, for example, “thefrequency filter that causes a component having a frequency bandcorresponding to a song of a bird (sound characterizing a position(current position) at which a song of a bird is heard) to passtherethrough and reduces components having other frequency bands”.

The filter unit 14 performs filtering the electrical signal generated bythe sound collection unit 11, with the frequency filter selected in theabove-described manner, for example.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the filter unit 14 may holdcorrespondence information in which a combination of plural positionattributes is associated with an identifier (ID) of the frequencyfilter. For example, the frequency filter may be associated with acombination of “position attribute: school zone” and “positionattribute: bicycle traffic volume is large”. The frequency filter may be“a frequency filter that causes the component having a frequency bandcorresponding to a voice of a human child and the component having afrequency band corresponding to a sound (for example, brake sound, bellsound, and wheel rotation sound) of a bicycle to pass therethrough andreduces components having other frequency bands”.

In a case where plural position attributes are associated with thecurrent position, the filter unit 14 can select a frequency filtercorresponding to a combination of the plural position attributes.

In a case where the current position is not associated with any positionattribute, the filter unit 14 may not select the frequency filter. Inthis case, the sound outside the vehicle may be output from the speakerwithout having filtering performed thereon.

In the meantime, as described above, the sound which passes through thefrequency filter and then is output from the speaker, that is, a soundof which the driver is notified varies depending on the positionattribute of the current position. For example, a notification of avoice of a child is performed in a school zone. A notification of asound of a bicycle is performed at a position at which the bicycletraffic volume is large. A notification of a sound of an ocean wave isperformed at a position along the seaside. A notification of a song of abird is performed at a position at which a song of the bird is heard.

As described above, plural kinds of sounds (for example, human talkingvoice, sound of bicycle, sound of an ocean wave, and a song of a bird)of which the driver is to be notified may be provided. However, thevolumes of sounds emitted from sound sources are different from eachother.

The processing unit 12 may change the amplification factor of a signalinput to the speaker in accordance with the position attribute of thecurrent position (that is, in accordance with the current position). Theamplification factor has a value which is equal to or greater than 0.Specifically, the processing unit 12 may set the amplification factorsuch that the driver can be notified of a sound of which the driver isnotified at the current position, with an appropriate volume (not toolarge and not too small).

In a case where the sound collection unit 11 collects a sound outsidethe vehicle with the plural microphones, the processing unit 12 may setan amplification factor of a signal which is obtained by collection withsome microphones (microphones in a first group) and is input to thespeaker to be different from amplification factors of signals which areobtained by collections of other microphones (microphones in a secondgroup) and are input to the speaker.

The processing unit 12 can determine the some microphones (microphonesin the first group) on the basis of the current position of the ownvehicle. That is, the processing unit 12 can group the pluralmicrophones into the first group and the second group on the basis ofthe current position of the own vehicle.

For example, in a case where the position attribute of the currentposition of the own vehicle is “along the seaside”, the processing unit12 may set the amplification factor of a signal of a sound collected bythe microphone positioned on a side on which the ocean exists to belarger than the amplification factor of a signal of sounds collected byother microphones. For example, in a case where the ocean is located onthe right side of the own vehicle, the processing unit 12 may classifythe microphones located on the right side (for example, right front andright rear) of the own vehicle to be the first group and classify themicrophones located on the left side (for example, left front and leftrear) of the own vehicle to be the second group. In this manner, theamplification factor of a signal of the sound collected by the firstgroup may be set to be greater than the amplification factor of a signalof the sound collected by the second group.

Next, an example of a processing flow of the processing device 10 in theembodiment will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, if processing of outputting a sound outsidethe vehicle from the speaker is started, the sound collection unit 11collects the sound outside the vehicle (S10).

The filter unit 14 performs filtering on the electrical signal generatedby the sound collection unit 11, with the set frequency filter. In acase where any frequency filter is not set, the filter unit 14 may notperform filtering.

After S11, the processing unit 12 causes the sound outside the vehicleto be output from the speaker (S12). In a case where filtering isperformed in S11, the processing unit 12 causes the sound outside thevehicle to be output from the speaker, on the basis of the filteredelectrical signal. In a case where filtering is not performed in S11,the processing unit 12 causes the sound outside the vehicle to be outputfrom the speaker, on the basis of the electrical signal which has notbeen subjected to the filtering.

Next, an example of processing of changing the set frequency filter willbe described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 5.

The detection unit 13 continues processing of detecting the currentposition of the own vehicle. The filter unit 14 acquires informationindicating the current position from the detection unit 13 (S20).

The filter unit 14 performs processing of setting the frequency filter,on the basis of the latest current position (S21). That is, the filterunit 14 determines the frequency filter to be applied on the basis ofthe current position. Then, the filter unit 14 performs the setting suchthat setting details indicate the determined frequency filter.

Next, advantageous effects of the embodiment will be described.

According to the processing device 10 in the embodiment, it is possibleto output a sound outside the vehicle from the speaker installed in thevehicle, in a state where a sound of a desired sound source (sound ofwhich notification to a driver is desired) remains while sounds of othersound sources (sounds of which notification to the driver isunnecessary) is reduced, by selecting the frequency filter andperforming filtering with the selected frequency filter. According tothe above-described processing device 10 in the embodiment, it ispossible to reliably notify the driver of the desired sound outside thevehicle in comparison to a technology in the conventional art.

The processing device 10 in the embodiment can select the frequencyfilter on the basis of the current position. According to theabove-described processing device 10, it is possible to appropriatelyselect a sound to remain and a sound to be reduced, in accordance withthe current position and output the sound outside the vehicle from thespeaker installed in the vehicle.

Multiple sounds of which the driver is to be notified are provided. In acase of a frequency filter that causes all the sounds to passtherethrough, most of the sounds pass through the filter, resulting in apoor filter-effect. In a case of the embodiment, it is possible tonarrow down to a sound of which the driver is to be notified and selecta frequency filter that causes the sound to pass therethrough, inaccordance with the current position. Therefore, it is possible toreliably notify the driver of a sound of which the driver is to benotified at each place, in comparison to the technology in theconventional art.

The processing device 10 in the embodiment can change the amplificationfactor of a signal input to the speaker, in accordance with the currentposition. Multiple sounds of which the driver is to be notified areprovided, and the volumes of the sounds emitted from sound sources aredifferent from each other. Therefore, if the amplification factor of asignal input to the speaker is set to be constant, a situation in whicha certain sound can be heard at an appropriate volume, but hearing othersounds has difficulty, or other sounds are heard too loud may occur.

If hearing the sound has difficulty, a problem in that the driver missesthe sound may occur. If the sound is too loud, the sound may disturbdriving. In addition, if the sound is too loud, the driver changes thevolume of the speaker to be reduced. However, after that, a problem inthat hearing a predetermined sound has difficulty may occur.

According to the processing device 10 that can change the amplificationfactor of a signal input to the speaker in accordance with the currentposition and make an adjustment so that the sound of which the driver isto be notified at each position can be output from the speaker with anappropriate volume, it is possible to reduce problems as describedabove.

In a case where the plural microphones collect the sound outside thevehicle, the processing device 10 in the embodiment can set theamplification factor of a signal which is obtained by collection withsome microphones and is input to the speaker to be different fromamplification factors of signals which are obtained by collections ofother microphones and are input to the speaker. It is possible to groupmicrophones into the some microphones and other microphones inaccordance with the current position.

For example, the processing device 10 can set the amplification factorof a signal collected by a microphone that easily collects a sound ofwhich the driver is to be notified (for example, microphone on a side onwhich a sound source of the sound of which the driver is to be notifiedis located) to be greater than the amplification factor of a signal of asound collected by another microphone. According to the above-describedprocessing device 10, it is possible to emphasize the sound of which thedriver is to be notified and output the sound from the speaker. As aresult, it is possible to notify the driver of a sound of which thedriver is to be notified at each place, in comparison to the technologyin the conventional art.

Modification Examples

Here, modification examples of the processing device 10 in theembodiment will be described. The processing device 10 may transmitinformation of a selected frequency filter to an external server devicein association with the position information of the own vehicle,date-and-time information, and the like when the frequency filter isselected. The external server device updates map information on thebasis of the transmitted information.

An example of a processing flow will be described with reference to theflowchart in FIG. 6. The detection unit 13 of the processing device 10built in a vehicle A detects the current position of the own vehicle(S30). If the filter unit 14 selects a frequency filter on the basis ofthe current position (S31), the processing device 10 analyzes a soundcollected by the sound collection unit 11 and determines whether or nota sound to pass through the selected frequency filter (soundcharacterizing the position) is included in the collected sound (S32).For example, in a case where “the frequency filter that causes acomponent having a frequency band corresponding to a voice of a humanchild to pass therethrough and reduces components having other frequencybands” is selected in a school zone, the processing device 10 determineswhether or not the collected sound includes the voice of a human child.

In a case where the collected sound includes the sound to pass throughthe filter (Yes in S32), the processing device 10 transmits typeinformation of the selected filter and position information,date-and-time information, and environment information (for example,weather information and traffic information) of the own vehicle when thefilter is selected, to the external server device (S33). In a case wherethe collected sound does not include the sound to pass through thefilter (No in S32), information transmission to the server device is notperformed.

The server device receives information from plural vehicles (S34,acquisition unit) and stores the information along with an identifier(ID) as table data every time the information is received (S35).Statistical processing is performed on the stored table data, and thus acombination of the type of filter selected at each position, and one orplural conditions for selecting the filter is calculated as referenceinformation (S36, generation unit). The calculated reference informationmay be embedded in the map information.

The processing device 10 built in a vehicle B that selects a new filtertransmits the current position information, the current date-and-timeinformation, and the current environment information, as conditioninformation, to the server device and inquires a frequency filter to beused (S40).

When the server device receives the inquiry (S37), the server devicedetermines the type of filter to be selected, on the basis of thereference information generated in S36 and information received in S37(S38, determination unit). Then, the server device transmits informationindicating the type of filter to the processing device 10 of the vehicleB (S39).

If receiving information transmitted from the server device (S41), theprocessing device 10 of the vehicle B specifies the type of filterindicated by the received information and performs filtering with thespecified filter (S42).

The reference information may be transmitted from the server device tothe processing device 10 of each vehicle. Each processing device 10 maydetermine a filter to be used, on the basis of the referenceinformation.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an example of information collected inthe server device in the modification example. In a case of themodification example, the filter is not selected in a situation in whicha sound to pass through the filter is not included due to a change ofthe surrounding environment, a time point, or the like when the filteris selected, that is, in a situation in which filtering is notnecessary. Thus, it is possible to reduce processing of the processingdevice 10 and to select the type of filter corresponding to conditionsof the surrounding environment or the date and time.

Another modification example will be described with reference to theflowchart in FIG. 8. In a case where a sound that needs to be output tothe inside of the vehicle is generated in the vicinity of the ownvehicle, for example, approach of an emergency vehicle, the processingdevice 10 sets a frequency filter emphasizing a sound that needs to beoutput to the inside of the vehicle in accordance with a soundcollection state. Specifically, the processing device 10 determineswhether or not a sound (S50) collected by the microphone includes asound that needs to be output to the driver (sound of emergency vehicle,public emergency broadcast, and the like) (S51). In a case where thesound that needs to be output to the driver is included (Yes in S51),filtering of causing a component for the sound that needs to be outputto the driver to pass is performed in addition to the frequency filterselected on the basis of the position information of the own vehicle, inaccordance with a situation. For example, in a case where importance forthe driver increases with time elapsed, for example, in a case where anemergency vehicle approaches the own vehicle (Yes in S52), filtering ofcausing a component for the sound that needs to be output to the driverto pass is performed (S53). In a case the importance for the driverdecreases with time elapsed, for example, in a case where the emergencyvehicle becomes farther (No in S52), filtering of causing the componentfor the sound that needs to be output to the driver to pass is notperformed. In a case of No in S51 and a case of No in S52, the frequencyfilter (frequency filter that emphasizes the sound characterizing thecurrent position) in accordance with the above-described configurationof the embodiment is selected. The type of sound necessary for beingoutput to the driver may be registered in advance.

In a case where authority of driving is transferred from an automaticdriving system to a passenger in an automatic driving vehicle, thecollected sound may be output into the inside of the vehicle inaccordance with the degree of emergency of transferring the authority.For example, in a case where the degree of emergency of transferring theauthority is high, an alarm sound is output instead of the collectedsound. In a case where the degree of emergency of transferring theauthority is low, the collected sound is output. Since the sound outsidethe vehicle is used instead of the alarm sound in a case of authoritytransfer having a low degree of emergency, it is possible to naturallytransfer authority with small stress.

Hitherto, the embodiment and examples are described with reference tothe drawings. However, these are just examples of the present invention,and various other configurations may be employed.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent ApplicationNo. 2016-208426 filed on Oct. 25, 2016, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein in its entirety.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A processing device comprising: a soundcollection unit that collects an environmental sound outside a vehicle;a filter unit that performs filtering for emphasizing a soundcharacterizing a current position of the vehicle of which theenvironmental sound is collected, from the environmental sound collectedby the sound collection unit; and a processing unit that causes theenvironmental sound including the filtered sound to be output to theinside of the vehicle wherein the filter unit determines whether or notto continue the filtering, in accordance with a state of soundcollection by the sound collection unit of an external sound that needsto be heard by a passenger of the vehicle, not the sound characterizingthe current position when the filtering is performed.
 2. The processingdevice according to claim 1, further comprising: a detection unit thatdetects a current position of an own vehicle, wherein the filter unitselects a frequency filter that emphasizes the sound characterizing thecurrent position from among a plurality of frequency filters on thebasis of the current position and performs the filtering with theselected frequency filter.
 3. The processing device according to claim2, wherein the filter unit performs the filtering corresponding to aposition attribute of the current position which is specified on thebasis of map information.
 4. The processing device according to claim 2,wherein the sound collection unit collects the sound outside the vehiclewith a plurality of microphones, and the processing unit sets anamplification factor of a signal which is collected with somemicrophones and is input to a speaker installed in the vehicle to differfrom an amplification factor which is collected with other microphonesand is input to the speaker, in accordance with the current position. 5.An output method performed by a computer, the method comprising: a soundcollection step of collecting an environmental sound outside a vehicle;a filtering step of performing filtering for emphasizing a soundcharacterizing a current position of the vehicle of which theenvironmental sound is collected, from the environmental sound collectedby the sound collection unit; and a processing step of causing theenvironmental sound including the filtered sound to be output to theinside of the vehicle wherein the filter step determines whether or notto continue the filtering, in accordance with a state of soundcollection by the sound collection step of an external sound that needsto be heard by a passenger of the vehicle, not the sound characterizingthe current position when the filtering is performed.
 6. Anon-transitory storage medium storing a program causing a computer tofunction as: a sound collection unit that collects an environmentalsound outside a vehicle; a filtering unit that performs filtering foremphasizing a sound characterizing a current position of the vehicle ofwhich the environmental sound is collected, from the environmental soundcollected by the sound collection unit; and a processing unit thatcauses the environmental sound including the filtered sound to be outputto the inside of the vehicle, wherein the filtering unit determineswhether or not to continue the filtering, in accordance with a state ofsound collection by the sound collection unit of an external sound thatneeds to be heard by a passenger of the vehicle, not the soundcharacterizing the current position when the filtering is performed.